Hat-Trick for Fountain at NABBA Championships

Over thirty brass bands travelled across North America with over 1,100 musicians competing for glory at the 2022 North American Brass Band Association (NABBA) Championships this weekend. The event took place in the Von Braun Center, was hosted by the Brass Band of Huntsville with live streaming and interviews provided by BrassPass for those who couldn’t attend in person.

The Championship section was contested over two days with bands competing on Paul Lovatt-Cooper’s ‘And from the Darkness’ at the set-test contest on Friday evening before taking to the stage again for their own-choice programme on Saturday afternoon. Adjudicators Paul Lovatt-Cooper, Allan Ramsay, John Phillips and Dr Jack Stamp had their work cut out for them trying to separate the six Championship performances, however no-one in the audience appeared surprised when Fountain City were announced as the winners under the direction of Professor David King. The band’s display on Thierry Deleruyelle’s ‘Fraternity’ sealed their victory over James Madison University with Atlantic Brass completing the podium places. This win completed a hat-trick of wins at the National Championships for Fountain City, with victories before the imposed Covid break in 2018 and 2019.

If the winners of the Championship section were considered the contest favourites, then nothing could have been further from the truth for the Dallas Brass Band, who scooped up the top spot in the First section on the band’s contesting debut. With a contest format that would test the best bands in Europe Dallas Brass Band took to the stage as band number 5 to perform Tom Davoren’s demanding set-test ‘Facets of the Heart’ before remaining in situ to deliver their equally challenging own-choice of ‘A King’s Lie’ by Stan Nieuwenhuis. Musical Director Dr. David Childs was clearly delighted with the band’s performances and stated in an interview with BrassPass’s Martin Gernon that if offered the chance to return to the stage for another try he wouldn’t, he felt the band had really given its very best possible performance. Adjudicators John Phillips, Allan Ramsay and Dr. Jack Stamp clearly agreed placing Dallas first with a huge margin of more than 3 points over second placed Five Lakes Silver with Oakland University awarded third prize.

In the lower sections it was Motor City Brass Band, Triangle Brass Band and Motor City Academy Brass Band that took the spoils in the Second, Third and Open sections respectively. The Triangle organisation were also successful in the youth divisions with its Youth Academy Band winning the Youth Open Section and the Youth Band placed first in the Youth First Section. It was the Watson Brass Band who were announced as winners of the Youth Championship Section.

The Contest organisers were clearly thrilled with the return to Huntsville following the 3-year break and were at pains to thank everyone involved in the successful return of the event. The set test pieces were also announced for the 2023 Championships as:

Championship Section - ‘Titan’s Progress’ Hermann Paulhuber

First Section - ‘The Year of the Dragon’ Philip Sparke

Second Section - ‘Purcell Variations’ Kenneth Downie

Third Section - ‘Sinfonietta no 4’ Etienne Crausaz

Youth Championship Section - ‘The Saga of Tyrfing’ Jacob Vilhelm Larsen

Youth First Section - ‘The Seasons’ Philip Wilby

Results

Championship Section

1. Fountain City Brass Band - 95.167

2. James Madison University Brass Band - 93.950

3. Atlantic Brass Band - 92.717

4. Georgia Brass Band - 90.917

5. Chicago Brass Band - 89.733

6. Colorado Brass - 86.767

1st Section

1. Dallas Brass Band - 96.800

2. Five Lakes Silver Band - 93.067

3. Oakland University Brass Band - 91.583

4. UGA British Brass Band - 90.767

5. Dublin Silver Band - 88.333

6. Arkansas Musicworks Brass Band - 87.233

7. Illinois Brass Band - 84.633

2nd Section

1. Motor City Brass Band - 91.467

2. Cincinnati Brass Band - 89.267

3. Brass Band of Huntsville - 87.167

4. St. Louis Brass Band - 85.500

5. San Francisco Brass Band - 83.133

6. Tampa Brass Band - 78.433

3rd Section

1. Triangle Brass Band - 94.917

2. Fountain City Youth Brass Academy - 88.900

3. Natural State Brass Band - 84.833

4. Jacksonville State University Brass Band - 84.583

5. Old Crown Brass Band - 84.200

6. ECU Brass Band - 76.283

7. Dublin Metro Brass - 75.400

Open Section

1. Motor City Academy Brass Band - 78.500

Youth Championship Section

1. Watson Brass Band - 91.400

Youth 1st Section

1. Triangle Youth Brass Band - 82.400

Youth Open Section

1. Triangle Youth Academy Brass Band - 74.833

 

Photo Credit: Alex Schnautz

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